Criticize me if you choose, and brand me a trouble maker if you must…but please have chapter and verse at hand and if God’s word backs up your word I will thank you for the needed correction. A little long for some... although well worth the read~ Criticism and accountability The current crop of confessing Christians fears robust debate. It was not always so. Christian history is the account of faithful spiritual warriors fighting in the trenches against heresy to defend the faith once for all delivered to the saints. True preachers and teachers of the eternal gospel have never flinched at the saints holding them accountable to preach the truth of scripture clearly and concisely. They instead welcomed the rebuke from a righteous man as oil on the head. Any saint who accepts the call to be a preacher or teacher of the gospel knows that it is done with a God honouring trepidation and an understanding that a teacher will be judged more severely than others. Faithful shepherds accept that they are accountable …to God and to His church. Hirelings and heretics, professionals and pretenders on the other hand wail long and loud if they are exposed to any form of criticism or challenge. They will accuse the brother who dares to lovingly rebuke, or even question, with being divisive, unloving and negative. But by their judgement all the heroes of faith through the ages have been divisive unloving and negative When a child of God sees his Lord being misrepresented or God’s word being twisted or God’s sheep being harshly treated he or she will speak. The honourable delight in it and the and the pretenders scowl and take their stand with the Pharisee. One such issue much in evidence today is the where to draw the line of separation. Some who bask in their fame as religious leaders may make the right noises. But many a Judas ate and drank with the apostles and yet had his heart at cross purposes to their Lord. There is an old saying which goes birds of a feather flock together. Some who declare themselves shepherds, preachers and followers of Christ habitually build unbiblical allegiances. When challenged for aligning themselves with the enemies of the Lord they do not weep tears of repentance as Peter did but rather as Judas they commit spiritual suicide by refusing to renounce their betrayal. Believing that offence is the greatest form of defense they become more offensive still by claiming amongst other things that they have been judged guilty by association. This of course is nonsense. Our lord Himself associated with every species of honest sinner. Including you and I. Associating is no sin. No one is guilty by association but they are guilty by whom they endorse. A mans allegiances reveal his heart more quickly than his words. When Peter drew back from the Greek believers to side with the Jewish legalists, Paul’s righteous loyalty to truth stirred him to rebuke Peter publicly and clearly. When today a high profile Christian leader endorses The Pope or a Trinity denier or a known chameleon, he expects to do so with the unquestioned backing of the sheep who are the very ones who will be bruised by the hirelings or savaged by the wolves. Even in the natural realm a man who has allegiances to his kings enemies is not considered magnanimous and godly; he is considered a traitor. How much more important in the spiritual realm. When a Christian leader endorses the cult of Mormonism, he shows himself to either be too ignorant of biblical truth to be a leader or so mixed in his allegiances he is not to be trusted in any other`area. The same can be said for those who promote Popery interfaithism or any unbiblical cult. There is no sin in presenting biblical truth to unregenerate religionists with a kind and gentle demeanour. After all today enemies of Christ may well be tomorrows faithful saints. That’s the story for all children of God. But presenting truth with genuine love and concern to the lost is not the same as signing manifestos with assorted unbiblical “faith traditions” or promoting preachers who will not stand upon the divine revelation of God’s word. Much of the confusion results from churchians who mistake their purpose as building the church. Jesus said He will build His church, we on the other hand are simply to declare Christ and Him crucified. When the religious embrace the unbiblical goal of building a religious institution, the growth of which is invariably measured in offerings, headcounts and carnal influence, they will naturally see allies in others who have “succeeded” in building similar religious organizations. This explains much of the ecumenical and interfaith and institutionalised nonsense that goes on in the name of “church” Scripture asserts that without holiness no one will see the Lord. Holiness is not, as some assume, to do with dressing in 1950’s attire or avoiding the movies or shunning playing a hand of Canasta. These things are not a sign of holiness but often good old fashioned legalism. Holiness is to be set apart for holy purposes. It means the goals priorities and desires of life are completely immersed in serving and bringing glory to Christ Jesus. As such no one is holy who has allowed their presentation of the gospel to be mixed with the unholiness of worldly Christ rejecting religions. Ministers fraternals which contain some clergy who are saved and some who consider the preaching of the word as the realm of fundamentalists are of no assistance to the kingdom of God. They are unholy. Combined prayer meetings with evangelical Catholic and assorted cultists gathering together can not offer prayers that will move the Lord…except in judgement!…They are unholy. Joining with cults to further some political or social agenda is not co-belligerancy it is a defiled witness. Christians who muffle the word of God with such doings may not drink, dance or smoke but they are unholy nevertheless. To some this may sound critical and intolerant but to those who are led by the Spirit of God it’s pure common sense. Criticize me if you choose, and brand me a trouble maker if you must…but please have chapter and verse at hand and if God’s word backs up your word I will thank you for the needed correction. GC
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 19:47:56 +0000
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